The Tempest King and the Holy Queen
by MrAshara
Summary: While en route to Jehanna Hall, Natasha finds herself unable to get a certain red-headed swordsman off her mind.


This fic takes place during Eirika's story, while the party is en route to Jehanna Hall. It's currently a one shot, review it and maybe it won't be no more.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem, Natasha, Joshua, The Grado Empire, the continent of Elibe, Jehanna Hall...or anything really.

The Tempest King and the Holy Queen

Natasha shaded her eyes against the sun as she gazed out over the sea of sand that was Jehanna, and sighed when the bottom of her veil, which she'd pulled to the side to cover her face, fell back into place. She continued marching at a safe distance back from the front lines, out of bow shot of any enemy archer that might lurk in the swirling sands, and debated the various merits of the sun in her eyes versus the sting of the sand blowing into her unprotected face, then lowered her hand to pull her veil back to the side, squinting into the sun as she did so. She frowned for a moment, and then closed her eyes as she offered up a prayer to God. Her lips moved silently as she prayed for detachment from mere physical discomforts. She frowned slightly, the expression hidden under her veil. Of course, a prayer for detachment from certain physical comforts would probably not go amiss in her conflicted soul. She sighed as crimson hair and eyes flashed in her mind. She had prayed to God for guidance, for his light to continue to guide her on the path He had set before her years ago. This was the path she was meant to walk, she knew that. And yet...crimson hair and eyes flashed in her mind again. Clenching her eyes tighter, she tried to fill those troublesome quiet places in her mind with the low chanting of prayer, lest they be filled with certain more...comfortable images.

"I pray to thee God that you may remind me of your ways." Natasha chanted softly. "Let me not forget, that the body is the temple of the spirit." _Some temples are more fine to look on then others. _Natasha rubbed her forehead with her hand that gripped her staff, the cool light that radiated from the gem at the tip playing over her burning brow. "The body is to be respected, as are the bodies of others, as a sign of the eternal spirit that dwells within." _Within and underneath waves of crimson hair, shimmering in the dessert sun. _Natasha breathed out slowly, then frowned again. "Let me pay heed to my body, for I may come to know the spirit within by knowing the body."_To know, to touch such a body, to study deep crimson eyes... _Natasha threw up her hands. Nothing was helping! She couldn't get her mind off of him! At this rate, any second now she was going to start hearing his voice...

"Whoa, Sister look out!" Natasha's eyes snapped open, and she found herself standing at the crest of a dune, one step from tumbling down the other side.

Unfortunately she had already taken that step. As her foot came down on emptiness, she threw back her arms in a desperate attempt to regain her balance, flailing about with her staff. Despite that, she felt herself leaning forward and threw her hands in front of her face as she prepared to fall.

Hands grabbed her shoulders from behind and instead of tumbling down the dune, Natasha felt herself pulled backwards, and she landed on her hindquarters instead. She lowered her hands and twisted her head around behind her. Joshua was crouched on the sand, his sword sheathed in cloth at his side in his unique manner that deceptively suggested that any moment it might tumble free. His crimson eyes gazed at her with amusement and she began to blush.

"I apologize Joshua. I was…" Joshua held up a hand and grinned. "I know, I know, prayers." As he smiled, Natasha noticed drops of blood beading at one side of his mouth, which formed into a thin trickle that ran down his cheek.

"Joshua! What happened to your mouth?" Joshua blinked and touched his fingers to his mouth, then blinked again when he saw the blood on the tips.

"Huh." He shrugged and dropped his hand to his side. "I guess in my rush to your aid I may have interfered with your attempts to keep your balance." Natasha's free hand went to her mouth as he smiled.

"Oh Joshua, I'm so sorry! Did I strike you?" Joshua grinned and hopped to his feet.

"It's nothing to worry about Sister." He leaned over and held out his hand to help her up. She reached out with her free hand, but reached past his hand and laid hers on his cheek. She closed her eyes and felt her staff grow cold for a second. Joshua's eyes widened then he shook his head and smiled.

He gently took her arm and pulled her to her feet. "Thank you Natasha." She opened her eyes and caught her breath as she found Joshua's face only inches from hers. _Crimson eyes framed by crimson hair..._ Joshua's eyes met with hers she was intensely aware of the feel of his skin beneath her hand. She hesitated a second, then pulled her hand back. Joshua shook his head.

"So I haven't won our latest wager yet, huh? Ah well." His smile faded as he caught sight of how the skin of her face was rubbed raw in places from blowing sand. He reached behind his head and grabbed one of the cords that kept his hair bound and took hold of her veil with his other hand. Natasha stared at him cautiously. He shook his head again, smiled, and twisted the tip of her veil with the cord, which he looped across the back of her head, trying to ignore the smooth feel of her hair, then tied to the cord to itself at the side of her jaw. He lowered his hands and Natasha touched the knot, and then shook her head from side to side. When the veil remained fixed in place she smiled at Joshua with her eyes.

"That should help you out." Joshua said as he began to turn away.

"Thank you Joshua. For this," Natasha said, touching her hand to her veil, "and for that." She angled her staff towards the edge of the dune. Joshua nodded, then began to trudge away from her and back towards the front of their party. However, he stopped after a few steps. He stood there for a second then a coin flashed in his hand, in the air, and in his hand again. He shrugged.

"Natasha?" He said without turning around. "You should have asked me to even up with you on our last wager." The coin flashed in the again, and Joshua shrugged again as he resumed walking. That would have been two wagers you would have won."

Natasha caught her breath. "I…I don't know what you mean." The coin went up again, and Joshua twisted his head around to glance at her.

"Just that I fell for you the moment I met you." Natasha's mouth opened slightly and she stared at Joshua silently. He smiled at her, and then turned back to the front.

"Don't forget to keep smiling Sister!" He called over his shoulder as he walked away.

Natasha stared after him for a moment, her hand gently resting on the knot in her veil. When she breathed, she could smell Joshua on the cord from his hair. She resumed walking, following Joshua at a distance. "Then Joshua," She said quietly, "that would bring the total to one wager won by each of us." And beneath her veil, she smiled.

Fin! Or not! It's up to you, review! Flames will be deposited in the trunk of my car along with the bodies of their writers.


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